Power rake devices

ABSTRACT

A dethatcher includes a frame having front and rear ends, a cover coupled to the frame and configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position, a handle extending from the frame, multiple wheels coupled to the frame, a cutting reel housed in the frame, and an engine for powering a drive mechanism of the shaft. The cutting reel includes a shaft having a first end and a second end, at least one cutting mechanism located between the first end and the second end of the shaft, and the drive mechanism for powering the shaft. When the cover is in the open position, a user may access the cutting reel from a top end of the frame.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/689,777, filed Aug. 29, 2017, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/432,997, filed Dec. 12, 2016, andto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/380,631, filed Aug. 29,2016, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

The current disclosure relates generally to power rake devices, alsoknown as dethatchers. Thatch is a layer of semi-decomposed grass andother organic material that accumulates above the soil faster than itcan be absorbed. Thatch forms a barrier between soil and the water,nutrients, and air required for a healthy lawn. It may also serve as aperfect breeding ground for damaging lawn diseases. However, thatchbuild-up is a normal occurrence and is not necessarily harmful to thelawn until it gets too thick. Poor mulching mower performance can be aone contributor to thatch build-up.

Power rake devices are configured to remove excess thatch from the lawn,generally by rotating metal tines through the lawn. Some of thoseskilled in the art recommend dethatching once thatch is over ½ inchthick, while others recommend dethatching once thatch is over 2 inchesthick. For cool season grasses, power raking is recommended in earlyfall or spring. Warm season grasses, on the other hand, are recommendedto be power raked in late spring to early summer. And it is generallydesirable to have at least thirty days of growing season availablefollowing power raking.

FIGS. 1A-1C show PRIOR ART dethatchers 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, which arerespectively sold by Billy Goat Industries, Inc.; BlueBirdInternational, Inc.; and Schiller Grounds Care, Inc. Each has arespective engine 12 a, 12 b, 12 c that is located directly above acutting reel and substantially along a side of the respective devices.FIG. 1D shows the PRIOR ART BlueBird dethatcher 10 b with a bagger 20attached.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention relates to a dethatcher including aframe having front and rear ends, a cover coupled to the frame andconfigured to selectively move between an open position and a closedposition, a handle extending from the frame, multiple wheels coupled tothe frame, a cutting reel housed in the frame, and an engine forpowering a drive mechanism of the shaft. The cutting reel includes ashaft having a first end and a second end, at least one cuttingmechanism located between the first end and the second end of the shaft,and the drive mechanism for powering the shaft. When the cover is in theopen position, a user may access the cutting reel from a top end of theframe.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a dethatcher including aframe having front and rear ends, a cover coupled to the frame andconfigured to selectively move between an open position and a closedpositon, a handle extending from the rear end of the frame, multiplewheels coupled to the frame, a cutting reel housed in the frame, and anengine for powering the cutting reel. A bottom of the engine is below atop of the cutting reel when the cutting reel is in use and the cuttingreel is located entirely in a front half of the frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A through 1E illustrate PRIOR ART dethatchers and components.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a dethatcher according to someembodiments.

FIG. 2B is another perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2Aaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shown with portionsremoved for illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shown with portionsremoved for illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5A is a top view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shown with portionsremoved for illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5B is a partial perspective of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shownwith portions removed for illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6A is a partial front perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG.2A, shown with the cutting reel exposed for illustration according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 6B is a partial perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A,shown with the cutting reel uninstalled and portions removed forillustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7A is another perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shownwith portions removed for illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a portion of the handle of thedethatcher of FIG. 2A according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7C is another partial perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2Aaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, butwith the handle at a storage position according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9 is another perspective view like FIG. 8, but with a seconddethatcher stacked atop the dethatcher of FIG. 2A according to someembodiments.

FIG. 10A is a partial side view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shown withthe front end at a raised position and portions removed for illustrationaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 10B is another partial side view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A,shown with the front end at the raised position and portions removed forillustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11A is a partial side view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shown withthe front end at a lowered position and portions removed forillustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11B is another partial side view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A,shown with the front end at the lowered position and portions removedfor illustration according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12A is another perspective view of the dethatcher of FIG. 2A, shownwith a seed box detached according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12B is another perspective view like FIG. 12A, but with the seedbox attached according to some embodiments.

FIG. 13A is another perspective view like FIG. 12B, but with a baggerattached according to some embodiments.

FIG. 13B is another perspective view like FIG. 13A, but with the baggerat an emptying configuration according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 14A is a perspective view of a flail reel which may be used in thedethatcher of FIG. 2A according to some embodiments.

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of a slicing reel which may be used inthe dethatcher of FIG. 2A according to some embodiments.

FIG. 14C is a perspective view of a spring tine reel which may be usedin the dethatcher of FIG. 2A according to some embodiments.

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates use of the bagger of FIG. 13Aaccording to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 2A through 15 illustrate a power rake (or “dethatcher”) 100,according to one embodiment. The dethatcher 100 broadly includes a frame110, wheels 112, a cutting reel 120, an engine 130, a handle 140, and apower transmitting and user control system 150.

The frame 110 has front and rear ends 110 a, 110 b and opposed sides 110c, 110 d, and the wheels 112 allow the frame 110 to be easilytransported. The dethatcher 110 has two of the wheels 112 at each side110 c, 110 d, with one wheel 112 on each side 110 c, 110 d being closeto the front end 110 a and one wheel 112 on each side 110 c, 110 d beingclose to the rear end 110 b. The two wheels 112 at the front end 110 amay be referred to as front wheels 112 a, and the two wheels 112 at therear end 110 b may be referred to as rear wheels 112 b. The front wheels112 a may be coupled to the frame 110 by a solid axle or by independentshafts, and the rear wheels 112 b may similarly be coupled to the frame110 by a solid axle or by independent shafts. If a self-propel featureis desired, it may be beneficial for the rear wheels 112 b to be coupledto a solid axle 113 as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B and discussed furtherbelow.

The cutting reel 120 has opposed ends 120 a, 120 b with at least onecutting mechanism 125 therebetween. Any appropriate cutting mechanismsmay be used, whether now known in the art or later developed. Examplecutting mechanisms may include flail reels 120′ (FIG. 14A), slicingreels 120″ (FIG. 14B), and spring tine reels 120″' (FIG. 14C). End 120 ais configured to be attached to the frame 110, such as through bolts 121or other appropriate fasteners. More particularly, a collar 122 (FIGS.5A and 6A) may be integral with the end 120 a or may be used with theend 120 a, and the fastener may interact with the collar 122 and theframe 110 such that the end 120 a is rotatable within the collar 122.Ball bearings and lubricants may reduce friction between the end 120 aand the collar 122 such that the collar 122 is part of a split bearingblock. End 120 b is also configured to be attached to the frame 110(again, through bolts 121 or other appropriate fasteners as well asanother collar 122) and further includes a drive mechanism 124 (e.g., asprocket or pulley) which is powered by the power transmitting system150.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the cutting reel 120 is housed in the frame 110. Insome embodiments, the cutting reel 120 may be located entirely in afront half hl of the frame 110, and it may be desirable for an axis alof the cutting reel 120 to be located at a distance dl from the framefront end 110 a that is no more than a third of the overall frame lengthd2. The frame 110 may include a cover 114, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and6A, providing selective access to the cutting reel 120 from above. Inother words, the user may alternately conceal (FIGS. 2A and 2B) andexpose (FIG. 6A) the cutting reel 120 using the cover 114. In oneembodiment, access to the cutting reel 120 from above may only occurwhen the cover 114 is opened (FIG. 6A). The ability to access thecutting reel 120 from above allows the cutting reel 120 to be removedand replaced (e.g., by removing the bolts 121 and the collars 122) witha sharper reel 120 and/or a different type of reel 120 without liftingor tilting the dethatcher 100 to access the cutting reel 120 from theunderside of the dethatcher frame 110. This is a substantial improvementover prior art dethatchers which require such lifting or tilting (andwhich thus may need fuel and/or other fluids to be drained or result influid leakage) and which require a significant amount of time to removeand replace a cutting reel.

A slit 116 (FIGS. 5B and 6A) in the frame 110 may allow part of the reelend 120 b to pass therethrough such that the drive mechanism 124 isseparated from the cutting mechanism 125 and thereby shielded fromdebris. But to provide concurrent access to the drive mechanism 124 andthe cutting reel 120, a cover 114 a providing selective access to thedrive mechanism 124 may be fixed to the cover 114 such that the covers114, 114 a move together as shown in FIG. 6A. In other words, the usermay alternately conceal and expose the drive mechanism 124 using thecover 114 a; access to the drive mechanism 124 from above may only occurwhen the cover 114 a is opened, and the covers 114 and 114 a may movetogether to facilitate changing out the cutting reel 120.

FIGS. 4, 5A, 6A, and 7A show the cutting reel 120 installed, and FIG. 6Bshows the cutting reel 120 separated from the frame 110. It is notuncommon for prior art cutting mechanisms 125 to be undesirably wornafter even a few (e.g., four or five) uses. The top access to thecutting reel 120 and the ease of changing the cutting reel 120(including but not limited to avoiding fluid drainage or spillage,avoiding the need for a lift or blocks, and substantially shortening theamount of time required compared to the prior art, as discussed above)are accordingly significant advances over prior art devices requiringthe cutting mechanism to be accessed from below.

Instead of locating the engine 130 atop the cutting reel 120 as iscustomary in the art, the engine 130 is supported by the frame 110behind the cutting reel 120 (i.e., toward the frame rear end 110 b, withthe cutting reel 120 being between the engine 130 and the frame frontend 110 a), such that a bottom of the engine 130 is below a top of thecutting reel 120 when the cutting reel 120 is in use. This configurationmay be particularly important in obtaining a relatively low profile, andmay allow enhanced access to the cutting reel 120 through the cover 114as the engine does not obstruct access to the cutting reel 120 fromabove. In addition, the engine 130 may be spaced apart from the framesides 110 c, 110 d, such that an imaginary center plane i1 (FIG. 4)passes through the engine 130. It may be particularly desirable for adistance d3 (FIG. 4) between the engine 130 and the frame side 110 c tobe at least half of a distance d4 between the engine 130 and the frameside 110 d, with the distance d4 being no more than twice the distanced3.

In some embodiments, the handle 140 may be configurable between a useposition and a storage position. FIGS. 2A through 5A, 7A, and 7B, showthe handle 140 at a use position 140 a, while FIG. 8 shows the handle140 at a storage position 140 b. In some embodiments, the handle 140 iscoupled to the frame 110 at the rear end 110 b and has a lower portion142 which extends upwardly from the frame rear end 110 b and isgenerally fixed. In one embodiment, the lower portion 142 in dethatcher100 includes two separate legs 142 a, 142 b (FIG. 2B) spaced apart fromone another and coupled together only through the frame 110 and an upperportion 144.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the upper portion 144 of the handle 140 has a bailclutch 145 and an operator console 149 and rotates relative to the lowerportion 142 (e.g., about pins 146), allowing the handle 140 to movebetween the use and storage positions 140 a, 140 b. The bail clutch 145is coupled to the console 149 (e.g., by bolts or pins) at points 145 a(FIG. 7C). This configuration may allow the bail clutch 145 to operatewith relatively shorter amounts of displacement (or “throw”) than foundin prior art dethatchers. Further, the bail clutch 145 may extend underand rearwardly beyond the handle grip portion 144 a, as shown in FIG. 3,which may ease user operation—especially in combination with the shorterdisplacement.

Pads 149 a extend from the console 149 and rest on the frame 110 (e.g.,on the cover 114) when the handle 140 is at the storage position 140 b(FIG. 9). And the frame front end 110 a (e.g., the cover 114) is angledsuch that an uppermost (or “grip”) portion 144 a of the handle 140 restson the angled surface when at the storage position 140 b, as shown inFIG. 9. The pads 149 a may be constructed of rubber or any appropriatematerial, and may be replaceable. When at the storage position 140 b,the handle 140 defines forward and rearward support points 111 a, 111 b(FIG. 8), and the bottom of the dethatcher 100 includes at least onerecess on the underside of the front end of the frame and at least onecavity on the underside of the rear end of the frame. The recess and thecavity are configured to receive support points 111 a and 111 b,respectively, such that multiple dethatchers 100 may be stacked and sitatop one another as shown in FIG. 9. Plates, lips, cavities, and otherstructure may be used on the underside of the dethatcher 100 to achievethis configuration.

As further shown in FIG. 9, the handle 140 is configured and positionedso that, when in the storage position 140 b, a substantially identicaldethatcher 100′ can be supported by the handle 140 in a stacked, nestingconfiguration, without the dethatcher 100′ resting on the engine 130(though with part of the engine 130 positioned inside frame 110′ of thedethatcher 100′). Thus, it may be especially important for the distancesd3, d4 (FIG. 4) to be sufficiently large to allow the handle upperportion 144 to pass outside of the engine 130 without interference. Insome embodiments, three or more dethatchers may be stacked, with thethird stacked and nested atop the second, and so on. Generally,dethatchers are used only sporadically and during certain times of theyear, and therefore they are often used as rental equipment and/or ownedby lawn care professionals—not the typical homeowner. In commercial andrental environments, floor space can be costly. Accordingly, the abilityto stack the dethatchers 100, 100′ as shown and described maysignificantly decrease the amount of floor space needed for storage, andthereby provide cost savings to the owner.

To keep the cables/linkages 182 from becoming misaligned with the handle140 when at the storage position 140 b, an alignment pin 183 (FIG. 7B)may couple the handle lower portion 142 to the cables/linkages 182(e.g., to alignment plate 182 a). The alignment pin 183 may be removableor may interact with a slot in the alignment plate 182 a to align thehandle lower portion 142 to the cables/linkages 182.

To maintain the handle upper portion 144 at the use and storagepositions 140 a, 140 b, a chain link or other locking device 143 mayengage the upper and lower portions 144, 142 when at the use position140 a (FIG. 7B). Further, the chain link or other locking device 143 mayengage the upper portion 144 and a hook 115 extending from the frame 110when the handle upper portion 144 is at the storage position 140 b (FIG.8). In some embodiments, the chain link or other lock 143 may slidealong the upper portion 144 and thus may alternately engage the lowerportion 142 (in the use position) and the hook 115 (in the storeposition). In other embodiments, multiple chain links or other locks 143may be used. The chain link or other lock 143 may be configured to besufficiently strong to allow the entire weight of the dethatcher 100 tobe lifted by the handle upper portion 144 when at the use position 140a.

Turning now to the power transmitting and user control system 150, theengine 130 has an output shaft 132 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) which transmitspower to an intermediate shaft 152. The output shaft 132 may transmitpower to the intermediate shaft 152 through a belt and pulleyarrangement 154, a chain and sprocket arrangement, gearing, or otherappropriate device or system. It may be desirable for the intermediateshaft 152 to be below the output shaft 132, as shown in FIG. 5B, tomaintain a low profile. The intermediate shaft 152 may further include aself-propel pulley 156 and/or a rake-driving pulley 158. In someembodiments, such as shown in FIG. 5A, the intermediate shaft 152 issupported by split bearing blocks 153 that are the same as the splitbearing blocks used for the collars 122 and utilize the same bolts 121,as described above. This may aid in manufacture and repair by utilizingminimal distinct components and allowing a common tool to be used forinstallation and removal.

As shown in FIG. 5B, a belt 161 couples the self-propel pulley 156 to adriven pulley 162, which in turn powers a differential 164. Thedifferential 164 transmits power to the solid axle 113, causing the rearwheels 112 b to turn. A tensioner operated by a user input (e.g., thebail clutch 145) selectively applies tension to the belt 161, allowingforce to be transmitted to the driven pulley 162. So when the engine130—and thus also the output shaft 132 and the intermediate shaft 152—isoperating, the rear wheels 112 b are not driven if the tensioner is notactuated (i.e., applying tension to the belt 161). If the tensioner isactuated (i.e., applies tension to the belt 161), then the belt 161transmits force to the driven pulley 162, which then drives thedifferential 164, the solid axle 113, and ultimately the rear wheels 112b. In some embodiments, the bail clutch 145 is configured to include twoseparate control lines 131—one line 131 a to engage a transmissionassociated with the engine 130, and another 131 b to engage thetensioner (FIG. 7C). Having two separate control lines 131 may allow forincreased modular manufacturing.

By powering the driven pulley 162 via the self-propel pulley 156, theself-drive functionality may be easily configured during manufacturing.For example, if self-propel functionality is not desired, the belt 161,the driven pulley 162, the differential 164, and the tensioner may beomitted during manufacturing, without requiring additional components orconfigurations of components to allow the dethatcher 100 to operatewithout self-propelling functionality. This can allow for ease ofmanufacturing, reduced part numbers, and cost savings. In someembodiments, the self-propel pulley 156 may be installed intodethatchers without self-propelling technology to further simplifymanufacturing processes. Moreover, if the self-propel pulley 156 isinstalled even in dethatchers without self-propelling functionality, thecurrent arrangement allows self-propel functionality to be easily addedlater (e.g., using an aftermarket kit which provides the belt 161, thedriven pulley 162, the differential 164, and the tensioner).

Returning now to the rake-driving pulley 158, a belt 171 couples therake-driving pulley 158 to the cutting reel pulley 124 (FIGS. 3, 5B,10B, and 11B). A tensioner 176 may be configured to selectively imparttension on the belt 171 to operate the cutting reel pulley 124 (and thusrotate the cutting reel 120). Various configurations may be employed toactuate the tensioner 176. In the dethatcher 100, the operation of thetensioner 176 may be associated with a height of the frame front end 110a, such that the tensioner 176 will not operate the cutting reel pulley124 until the front end 110 a is lowered to a predetermined height. Thiscan be used to prevent the cutting reel 120 from operating except forwhen the cutting reel 120 is positioned to remove thatch. So, forexample, while the front end 110 a is raised (FIGS. 10A and 10B), theintermediate shaft 152 may rotate the self-propel pulley 156 and therake-driving pulley 158. Because the tensioner 176 is not puttingsufficient pressure on the belt 171 when the front end 110 a is raised,force from the rake-driving pulley 158 is not transferred to the drivemechanism 124; yet the self-propel pulley 156 may power the rear wheels112 b as discussed above. As such, the dethatcher 100 may be transportedwithout the cutting reel 120 undesirably operating.

In one example, a wheel-attachment portion 119 of the frame front end110 a is rotatable about axis 119 a, such that the frame front end 110 acan be raised (FIGS. 10A, 10B) and lowered (FIGS. 11A, 11B) relative tothe front wheels 112 a. A user input 181 (FIG. 2A) is operably connectedto the wheel-attachment portion 118, such as through various cables andlinkages 182 (FIGS. 10A-11A), to force the frame front end 110 a to thelowered position or to allow the frame front end 110 a to move to (orremain at) the raised position. Springs or other biasing members maybias the frame front end 110 a toward the raised position. The userinput 181 may include one or multiple devices (levers, knobs, buttons,etc.) to accomplish the desired functionality. The embodiment 100, forexample, includes a lever 185 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) and a knob 186 (FIG.7A).

The tensioner 176 is coupled to the frame 110, such as through linkage178, and is allowed to selectively rotate about axis 178 a (FIGS. 10Band 11B). Linkage 177, in turn, couples the linkage 178 to thewheel-attachment portion 119 at pivot point 119 b. When the frame frontend 110 a moves toward the raised position, rotation of thewheel-attachment portion 119 about axis 119 a causes (via the linkage177) the tensioner 176 to rotate in direction A1 and disengage the belt171—preventing the engine 130 from operating the cutting reel 120 (FIG.10B). And when the frame front end 110 a moves toward the loweredposition, rotation of the wheel-attachment portion 119 about axis 119 acauses (via the linkage 177) the tensioner 176 to rotate in direction A2and engage the belt 171, thereby allowing the engine 130 to operate thecutting reel 120 (FIG. 11B). This can allow the self-propel pulley 156to power the rear wheels 112 b when the frame rear end 110 b is in theraised position without engaging the belt 171, (and thereby notoperating the cutting reel 120), as discussed above. And once the framerear end 110 b moves toward the lowered position, the tensioner 178 mayengage the belt 171, thereby operating the cutting reel 120. While theabove discussion refers to the front end 110 a being raised and lowered,those skilled in the art will appreciate that the rear end 110 b mayinstead (or additionally) be raised and lowered using structure andmethods corresponding to those used to raise and lower the front end 110a.

Once the tensioner 176 sufficiently engages the belt 171 to operate thecutting reel pulley 124 (and thus the cutting reel 120), the operatormay control the depth of the cutting reel 120 into the grass as desiredby further adjusting the height of the front end 110 a. In someembodiments, the user input 181 has multiple settings to allow bothmacro and micro adjustments. For example, tilting or sliding the lever185 (e.g., about axis 181 b, shown in FIG. 2B) may cause relativelylarge adjustment to the cables and linkages 182 (and thus to the heightof the frame front end 110 a), while rotating the lever 185 about axis181 a (FIG. 2A) may cause relatively small adjustment of the frame frontend 110 a. Additionally, or alternately, rotating the knob 186 (FIGS. 7Aand 7C) may cause relatively small adjustments to the cables andlinkages 182 (and thus to the frame height). A generally verticalsetting of the lever 185 may correlate to the raised position, a tiltedsetting of the lever 185 may correlate to the lowered position, androtation of the lever 185 and/or use of the knob 186 may fine-tune theheight of the frame front end 110 a. FIG. 7C shows that a bottom side ofthe knob 186 may include steps 187, and each step 187 may correlate to apredefined height adjustment of the front end 110 a (e.g., a quarterinch of height adjustment). The knob 186 may limit the travel of thelever 185, and the knob 186 may act as a stop for the lever 185. In someembodiments, the user input 181 may include index markings for desiredheights associated with a given cutting reel 120 type. In one example,the index markings may be shown on both the lever 185 and the knob 186.In some instances, the index markings may be associated with acorresponding index number on the cutting reel 120, thereby allowing theoperator to quickly determine the height setting associated with thecutting reel 120.

The power transmitting and user control system 150 may further includevarious safety features. For example, a kill switch, such as a proximityswitch, a limit switch, and the like may be positioned to interact withthe cover 114 so that the engine 130 cannot operate if the cutting reel120 is uncovered (e.g. the cover 114 is moved to uncover the cuttingreel 120). And though various parts of the power transmitting and usercontrol system 150 are illustrated in some of the figures as beinguncovered, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various coversor guards may be used to restrict access as desired.

FIGS. 12A through 13B show an optional seed box 200 in use with thedethatcher 100. The seed box 200 is removably coupled to the handle 140and/or the frame rear end 110 b and includes a container portion 205 anda gear or wheel 210 which interacts with one of the rear wheels 112 b toactivate seed dispersal from the container portion 205. Variousfasteners and methods may be used to couple the seed box 200 to thedethatcher 100. For example, straps extending from the container portion205 may selectively fasten to the handle 140, such as at pins or buckles148 extending from the handle 140. And at least one bracket may extendfrom the frame rear end 110 b to support the seed box 200.

A wire frame may also support the seed box 200 and be connected to thedethatcher 100. It may be desirable for the wire frame to be rotatabledownward to create a stand for the seed box 200 when the seed box 200 isseparated from the dethatcher 100. Rotating the wire frame in thedownward direction when the seed box 200 is detached from the dethatcher100 may prevent the seed box 200 from resting on the gear 210 and alsopermit the seed box 200 to be easily filled.

FIGS. 13A and 13B show an optional bagger 300 in use with the dethatcher100. In one embodiment, the handle 140 is near the rear end 110 b of theframe 110, the engine 130 is located between the handle 140 and thecutting reel 120, the cutting reel 120 powered by the engine 130 islocated between the engine 130 and the bagger 300, and the bagger 300 islocated near the front-most portion of the front end 110 a of the frame110. The bagger 300 has a frame 310 and material 320 surrounding andsupported by the frame 310, which substantially prevents debris frompassing through. In one embodiment, the bagger 300 is coupled to theframe 110 at the front end 110 a, such that the bagger 300 extends infront of the dethatcher 100. By coupling the bagger 300 to the front end110 a of the frame 110, an opening 330 in the bagger 300 is positionedto align with an opening caused by the cover 114 being in an openposition. A spring pin, latch, or other device may be used to maintainthe cover 114 in the open position, or the cover may be configured torest against the bagger 300.

Placement of the bagger 300 at the front of the dethatcher improves thefilling characteristics of the bagger 300 compared to the prior art.Looking, for example, at the prior art dethatcher 10 b (FIGS. 1D and1E), the cutting reel 14 rotates in direction A and the debris entersthe bagger 20 along an arc B extending from a lower part of the cuttingreel 14. In the dethatcher 100 and the bagger 300, on the other hand,the cutting reel 120 still rotates in direction A, but the debris entersthe bagger 300 along an arc C extending from an upper part of thecutting reel 120 (FIG. 15). This direction of debris flow may allow morecomplete filling of the bagger 300 and better airflow inside the bagger300 by allowing the debris to flow up and over any existing debris inthe bagger 300 before dropping down. In contrast, the debris in theprior art dethatcher 10 b may be easily obstructed by debris alreadywithin the bagger, thereby reducing the amount of debris that can beplaced in the bagger at any given time.

In some embodiments, the frame 310 of the bagger 300 may include twoportions 312, 314 rotatable relative to one another, with the firstportion 312 being fixed relative to the frame 110 and with the secondportion 314 supporting the material 320. With this rotatingconfiguration, the bagger 300 may be emptied by rotating the secondportion 314 as shown in FIG. 13B. The first portion 312 may be fixed tothe frame 110 by being received in housings 191, as shown in FIG. 13B,or through other attachment devices and methods, whether now known orlater developed. In one example, the first portion 312 may beselectively removable from the frame 110.

If a kill switch is associated with the cover 114 as discussed above,the bagger 300 may interact with the kill switch or a separateadditional kill switch so that the engine 130 is allowed to operate whenthe bagger 300 is attached to the frame 110. For example, the bagger 300may be configured to include a bypass circuit (not shown) to overridethe operation of the kill switch on the dethatcher 100, and rely insteadon a kill switch associated with the bagger 300 upon installation of thebagger. In some examples, if the housings 191 are utilized, the killswitch may be located inside a housing 191 to allow operation only whenthe first portion 312 is fully inserted; but other locations for thekill switch are clearly envisioned.

In some embodiments, a bagger shield may be inserted with the bagger 300into the opening for the cutting reel 120, such that the bagger shieldis located above the cutting reel 120 and connected to the frame 310with the bagger shield hanging lower than the frame 110 and allowing thethatch to flow up the bagger shield and into the bagger 300.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as wellas components not shown, are possible without departing from the spiritand scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative ratherthan restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisanmay develop alternative means of implementing the aforementionedimprovements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Thespecific configurations and contours set forth in the accompanyingdrawings are illustrative and not limiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dethatcher, comprising: a frame; a covercoupled to the frame and configured to selectively move between an openposition and a closed position; a handle extending from the frame; aplurality of wheels coupled to the frame; a cutting reel housed in theframe, the cutting reel comprising: a shaft having a first end and asecond end; at least one cutting mechanism located between the first endand the second end of the shaft; and a drive mechanism for powering theshaft; and an engine for powering the cutting reel via the drivemechanism, wherein when the cover is in the open position a user mayaccess the cutting reel from a top end of the frame.
 2. The dethatcherof claim 1, further comprising an intermediate shaft, the intermediateshaft located below and powered by the engine.
 3. The dethatcher ofclaim 2, wherein the intermediate shaft includes a rake driving pulley,wherein the drive mechanism comprises a cutting reel pulley coupled tothe rake driving pulley, and wherein the engine powers the rake drivingpulley through the intermediate shaft, and the rake driving pulleypowers the shaft through the cutting reel pulley.
 4. The dethatcher ofclaim 1, wherein the cover is pivotally coupled to the frame.
 5. Thedethatcher of claim 1, wherein the cutting reel is removably housed inthe frame by a first plurality of bolts and collars attached to thefirst end of the shaft and the frame and a second plurality of bolts andcollars attached to the second end of the shaft and the frame.
 6. Thedethatcher of claim 5, wherein when the cover is in the open positionthe user may access the cutting reel from the top end and remove thecutting reel by detaching the first plurality of bolts and collars fromthe first end of the shaft and detaching the second plurality of boltsand collars from the second end of the shaft.
 7. The dethatcher of claim6, wherein when the cover is in the open position the user may accessthe cutting reel from the top end to remove the cutting reel and replacethe cutting reel with a second cutting reel.
 8. The dethatcher of claim7, wherein the cutting mechanism is at least one of a flail reel, aslicing reel, and a spring tine reel, wherein the second cutting reelcomprises at least one second cutting mechanism, and wherein the secondcutting mechanism is at least one of a flail reel, a slicing reel, and aspring tine reel.
 9. The dethatcher of claim 1, wherein when the framefurther comprises a frame opening.
 10. The dethatcher of claim 9,further comprising a bagger, the bagger removably coupled to the frameand comprising: a bagger frame; a material surrounding and supported bythe bagger frame, the material including a material opening.
 11. Thedethatcher of claim 10, wherein the cutting reel is operable to removedebris including thatch.
 12. The dethatcher of claim 11, wherein whenthe cover is in the open position, the material opening aligns with theframe opening, and wherein the material receives the debris duringoperation of the cutting reel.
 13. A dethatcher, comprising: a framehaving front and rear ends; a cover coupled to the frame and configuredto selectively move between an open position and a closed position; ahandle extending from the rear end of the frame; a plurality of wheelscoupled to the frame; a cutting reel housed in the frame; and an enginefor powering the cutting reel, wherein a bottom of the engine is below atop of the cutting reel when the cutting reel is in use and wherein thecutting reel is located entirely in a front half of the frame.
 14. Thedethatcher of claim 13, further comprising an intermediate shaft, theintermediate shaft located below the bottom of the engine and powered bythe engine.
 15. The dethatcher of claim 14, wherein the intermediateshaft includes a rake driving pulley, wherein the cutting reel includesa cutting reel pulley coupled to the rake driving pulley, and whereinthe engine powers the rake driving pulley through the intermediateshaft, and the rake driving pulley powers the cutting reel through thecutting reel pulley.
 16. The dethatcher of claim 15, wherein the coveris pivotally coupled to the frame.
 17. The dethatcher of claim 16,wherein when the frame further comprises a frame opening located nearthe front end of the frame.
 18. The dethatcher of claim 17, wherein thecover does not cover the frame opening when in the open position andentirely covers the frame opening when in the closed position.
 19. Thedethatcher of claim 18, further comprising a bagger, the baggerremovably coupled to the frame and comprising: a bagger frame; amaterial surrounding and supported by the bagger frame, the materialincluding a material opening.
 20. The dethatcher of claim 19, whereinthe cutting reel is operable to remove debris including thatch, whereinwhen the cover is in the open position, the material opening aligns withthe frame opening, and wherein the material receives the debris duringoperation of the cutting reel.